Automatic film-fire extinguisher.



E. L. CRABB. AUI'OMATIC FILM FIRE EXTINGUI SHER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, I915.

Patented 111111113, 1916.

Z SHEETS-SHEET I.

' INVENTOR:

' ATTORNEX WITNESSES:

E. L CRABB.

AUTOMATIC FILM FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 19:5.

1 ,1 87,1 34. Patented June 13, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Q 1 mmzm /z/ 06 6% ATTORNEK S PATENT i- L 1755M QZQKAPB, Q15 CHXCirG'G, ILLINGIS, ASSIG-NQR QB BIIE-HAEE il liiIlZiIE, Oi? GHIQAGG, ILLZNGIS.

TO GEGRGE IVE.

bpecifieetion of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, l rifi,

Application filed November 29, 1915. {Serial No. 434,147.

whom may concern: v

' it known that I, EARL L. CRABB, a, citizen. oi? the United fiiimtes residing at Chic o, in the county of Cook and State of rliuois', have invented a new and useful i'rutomzitic Fi'lm- Fire Extinguisher, of which the following is 21 specification, referencebeing hurl to the accompanying drawin s, and to the letters and figures of ref- "i nice marked thereon.

This invention relates to moving picture "ejecting machines in which inflammable ribboniike films are usetl to carry the pictures between an object lens and powerful projecting-light rays, the invention having "110? more piifl 'wihu'ly to means for exfire .11 the film becomes ignited by the light rays.

An object of the invention is to provide means for effectively 521ml reliably eXtinguishing t the shortest possible amount of time, in er to n'eserve nearly all of the filui and .roi'cl serious loss.

rrtother oh ect is to provide an automoticuflay-operatio and reliable iiin'i-firc-extim guishcr of such construction :is to be adaptor] to operate cioseiy as possible to the ici lit at which the film passes thc'liglit rays 'icture projectin 'lfizLClllfiQ, in order he may be extinguished promptly c us it may be possible after one film occurs.

r object is provide an improved him-iire-cxtinguisher of such construction to be controlled by means of i'stlilllll that shall be susceptible of being i upon by heat kievclope i by the burning r, and which exhiiguisher shell be acinptto be connected to :i l'IJfiffLZlIlG or reel.

sirle eie' ef' r to the rlrewings iiigure .l. is a of e moving; picture film or he fire on :1 moving picture film in proximately on the line A A on and the course of the filin,.one of the improved fire-extinguishers being shown in a convenient position; Fi n is a perspective View of the improved firecxtiuguisher preferably constructed to be restrained from action preferably by 11168111501 fusible or c combustible device that may be ruptured and destroyed by the flame or heat of a burn ing film; Fig. 4 is a plan. View of 2L restrain-' ing link preferably constructed; Fig. 5 is ii fragmentary sectional View of the project ing machine and magazines provideri each :h e lire-extinguisher as preferably coustructeil at which a film fire is assumed to have been extinguished, as vhen the portion of the. film between the fire-extinguishers has been burned away; rig, 6 is ciragmew tary section lot the improved applianceap F 7 is a fragmentary ext-ems View of the the extinguishing appliance partially in section; and, Fig. 8 is a rear "plain View of the pliance as preferably constructed Similar reference characters the iiifcrent figures of the drewio s indicate cor respor ciing elements or res of coustroction herein referred to.

In order that the purpose, relative orrangement, function and acetic of operation of the invention may be clearly unclerstooti, the more essential features of a projecting; machine of the class to which the invention is applicable are briefly pointed out, the chine usually comprising a table 1: or which e frame 2 of the operetirig mocha mounted, the pper magazine being ported shove the machinery i lower magazine 4.- benecth the table; 5) eating an electricei lamp 6 the usual densing lens, 1" the light rays concentrated at the point 8 here the picture film passes an opening in the machinery frame, and 9 i, the object lens. The upper magazme has a reel 10, the lower magazine a reel 11, film 12 being connected to both of the reels and exteiiicling through the machinery frame in Which the film is suitably guided. The hottom of the opp r mag; nine 3 has a slot 13 through which ie film extends, and the top of the lower n'iagazine has a slot 1 1, the table having a continuing slot 15 through which the film ex erior-5.

The film driven or fed by a tootheri Wheel 16 arrangeifl in tho uppo' portion of the frame the wheel in guiding; the film, and a similar wheel 17 is arranged in the, lower portion of the frame and {lYlVQ'S or feeds and *uiclee the film in pia'nzi the 10 r magazine. ranged. in lllli the SlOi 13, a in the .lmiver in 14w to guide the some eases; a pair of g1 Lif) rolls J0 and 5.;

to the outer entl .l he untlors'tooil. that guide rolls are bJPflOlblHlP .il or have flange that are in contact with only the marginal portions of the film so as to guard against scratching the 1.:icturns on the film, and there'l'ore the guide rolls are incapable of preventing the progre of lire on the in past t coils. During ti. o operation of projecting machine the ribbon-like pic film 12 many ignite at ing of the frame 2 rays are cxo ively strong or nn-orrc- "l y focused, a, portion of tho him being inevituhly consul'ned. and thus (lestro /erl.

The improved llin-firenxtinguisher contemplates the extinguishing or arresting the progress of the lire on the film as promptly as it may be prawtieally pos 'il' lafter ignr tion. of the film occurs. h particular position of the fire-extinguisher appliance clopenrling u p011v available space for its armour modation in existing operating maohir special designing of the machines o all desirable space for the applianr-e.

The inxentim'i contemplate. also restraining means for priwonting notion i: in tinguieher until required, suoh restraining means to he of f-fiiU'll (Jinn-actor or form an to be inlluenoecl and acted upon by heat or flames ol? the burning; film to release the fire-extinguishing. moans for automatic action.

In practically carrying out the objects of the invention a. simple inexpensive, positive and reliable form of construction and arrangemrnt is shown as illosti 'e of the invention, two of the e); inguishor appliances 22 and 23 for the projecting machine luring are ar 'angerl aclu eent the slot. It

alfG the Window or open-- at 8, in case tho h; it

providerh one beneath the upper magazine 3 and the OlZl'lGl upon the lower 111i1 "5li1i;: l or itienl .r Y tahle ll Within flfl machine. Ti

extingu er appliai'u'es but revel in relative extinguisher appliance capable of past it All the. film. As prella'ah 'trurterl the l con'iprmoe Wo mile walls 24 1nd 5255,

6 and a froiiit Wall 37 (l integrally with the siclo walla, the latter being spaced. apart so to uiovizlo so i won them for the fit more I! re guard has in' and QB-i3 pro flil *iaspectii'ely to reaml. .3 w'horoliy o e of the guards in wean-oi]. xvo the under tuition] oi? tho uppor magazine oover tho slot 13 aiuljalso the x {0 and. til it the other front or -u'al l connected to I of th o two guards nein arcane-:Ql upon. the in ii. by means of SGG'UEII'W; devices ii-i: and so as to cover the slot Tho lire wall 926 is of suitable if" iii no to terminal, near the aid-ii film. and i end has an outuurilly ox'lonihi aliuljn'iei bar 313 thorium. arranged a short di -moo roin the film, the time of lair briefer-all) havin a. cushion.

the nil thereon .nonuvoo \l of litahlo yielding sub stance to permi the film to he proazsei'l into it such an asbestos; or non'inllaumiahle :l'elt. 'lhere is sullioi nt space helium-ken the Wullfl :26 and 732" to form a. doorway permitting :l'ree nun'einent of rho film tllerethrongh out] the end of the wall is preferably provided with hinge members $38. A door or Shutter 31) is prmirleil and movably mounted on the Wall 27., and, gnreilnrahly has hinge menu hers l-(l that are connected to the hinge n1emhow 38 in, moons of a. hinge r n 4.1, the door being provided. with a sprii hinge so as to he antoinatirally elosecl, the latter being suitably :ie hailed by means of a so-ii sprung; 5-13 aii'raii' ml on t e lllli ib n am having an. arm l extonrling a i the wall 21" and another arm .1; ontomlino; against the outer side of tho (lOUl so as to art to .loros; the ilUUl to ihe doorway portions of the side walls of the guard, the door having an outwardly extending clump bar 4-3 thereon provided on its front face with a ounhion -16 similar to the cushion 37, the cushion l6 being brought into contact with the other cushion when the iloor is 0105 cl so as to positively exclude lire from the guaril.

For the 'iiii-pi'rso of holding the floor in open position to permit the free operation of the film and permit the (loor to snap the film and. close the iiloorway when reqnirral, a suitable [levies in the present case Comprises a hook l'? connected. to the bar 15 and i.

inn

hook 48 mounted on the guard, as by means of an arm 49 secured to the wall 27. A link 50 is provided which has loops 51 and 52 on its opposite ends respectively, one loop being connected to the hook L? and the other to the hook 48, the link being composed of suitable material so as to be either fusible or combustible, the link in some cases being composed of the kind of material of which the film is composed so as to readily ignite and burn away and thus permit automatic closing of the fire-door, the link being arranged in proximity to one of the guide rolls or a feed wheel of the machine in order that the film shall positively pass in proximity to the link to insure that the flame consuming the film shall reach the link.

It should be understood that the means for restraining the action of the movable part of the fire-extinguisher or guard and the particular arrangement thereof are not limited to the particular form and arrangement described, and it will be obvious that the movable fire-door is not of necessity a hinge door; and within the scope of the accompanying claims various modifications in the details of construction and arrangement of parts, and combinations thereof, may be varied, as for instance different guards may require different shapes to conform to the structure to which they may most conveniently be secured.

In practical use, in case the film ignites it will be consumed in both directions from the point of ignition and when the fire reaches thevicinity of the controlling device or link 50 the device is affected or ignited and ractically destroyed so as to release and permit automatic action of the fire-door before the fire reaches the doorway of the guard, the cushion 46 being brought against the adjacent portion of the film and forcing the latter to the cushion 87, so that the film becomes embedded in the two cushions and permits the contact of the cushions at the edges of the film, the result being that when a flame reaches the bars 36 and 45 the fire becomes extinguished, since the film is incapable of combustion where it is clamped between the two bars and atmospheric air excluded. The operator may readily open the door to gain, access to the end of the film after the fire is extinguished and draw it out to enable him to repair the film in the usual manner, after which a new restraining device should be applied for holding the door open to permit free movement oi" the Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1-. A filmfire extinguisher including a guard having a doorway and an'abutment projecting from one side of the doorway, a door movably mounted on the guard to engage-,the walls of the doorway and havhaving a firewall provided with a door movably supported and the picture-film, the cl?" way supported for movement to close thedoorway and having a non combustible yielding face to be carried to the film and force the film to be embedded into the two yielding faces.

3. A filmfireextinguisher including a guard having a doorway therein for the passsa e of a film the uard havin an abutment thereon promoting outward from one side of the doorway and provided on its front with a non-combustibl cushion, a door I mounted on the guard and movable to close the doorway and having an outwardextend: ing clamp bar thereon provided on its front with anon-combustible cushion to be carried to the cushion of the abutment for embedding the film in the cushions, and means for automatically closing the door.

4. A film-protector comp ing a guard doorway for the passage of a film, door hinged to the wall to close the doorway and provided with a hook, a hook mounted on the firewall, a spring having engagement with the fire-wall and the door for moving the door to closed position, and a link connected to the two hooks and holding the door in open position, the link being destructible by the action of a flame on the :filnr 5. A film-protector comprisin,"

walls, a fire-wall and a g1 1rd war. connected to the side walls, the i wall having a hook thereon, a door to extend from one to the other of the vi alls and rest on the side walls betwe the guard wall, the thereon, a springhinge cent with the guard wall to mm firewall, and an infiamri ale and combustible link connected to the two books and holding the door away from the fire-wall.

6. A movingpicture projecting machine including a movable picture-film, a firewall suppor ed in proximity to tl picturefilm and having an almtment bar thereon. adja' cent to the picture-film, the her having a non-inflammable cushion thereon and presented to one side of the picture-film, a fire" so oneatically acting to coc peratc with the fire-all and having a clamp bar thereon. to carried thereby substantially to ("he posits side of bar having a noninflammable cuehio on and presented to the picture-film to ..o i contact with the latt r and the cu: 

